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The present invention relates to providing entertainment to passengers in a vehicle, and more specifically, to systems, methods and articles of manufacture that provide for a networked passenger entertainment system that integrates audio, video, passenger information, product ordering and service processing, communications, and maintainability features, and permits passengers to selectively order or request products and services, receive video, audio and game data for entertainment purposes, and communicate with other passengers and computers on- and off-board the aircraft, and which thereby provides for passenger selected delivery of content over a communication network.
The assignee of the present invention manufactures in-flight aircraft passenger entertainment systems. Such systems distribute audio and video material to passengers derived from a variety of sources. For example, such systems provide passengers with audio generated from audio tape players, movies derived from video tape players, and interactive services such as games, shopping and telecommunications. A variety of inventions have been patented by the assignee of the present invention and others relating to in-flight aircraft entertainment systems and their components. Certain of these prior art systems and components are summarized below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,771 entitled xe2x80x9cPassenger Entertainment/Passenger Service and Self-Test Systemxe2x80x9d discloses a time multiplexed passenger entertainment and service combined system suitable for distribution throughout compartments of super aircraft. Common power supplies, cabling, and boxes, and hybrid microelectronics and/or medium or large scale MOSFET integrated circuit chips are employed. A main multiplexer receives passenger address or tape deck analog signals and converts them to a pulse code modulated digital bit stream which is time shared between channels. A coaxial cable transmits the bit stream to compartment submultiplexers. Each submultiplexer receives the digital bit stream, optionally inserts into the bit stream bits representing analog-to-digital converted movie audio or compartment introduced passenger address and distributes the data stream along four columns of seat group units on individual column coaxial cables. At each seat group unit a demultiplexer of a seat group demultiplexer/encoder converts the bit stream into the original analog signals, amplifiers the analog signals and drives individual seat transducers for passenger listening.
A passenger control unit provides channel and volume level selection. The passenger service system provides control functions comprising reading light, stewardess call (aisle and control panel lights and chimes). The service system comprises a section timer/decoder to generate binary logic pulses that are transmitted by cable sequentially down and up the seat columns from seat group unit to seat group unit. A similar cable connects the corresponding overhead unit containing the reading lights, etc. to the section timer/decoder. The seat encoder of each seat group demultiplexer/encoder receives digital interrogating signals, processes them relative to switch positions determined by the passenger and sends out results to the section timer/decoder. The overhead decoder of each seat group receives the retransmitted digital signals from the section timer/decoder and performs switching functions conforming to seat encoder commands. The system incorporates a self-test subsystem comprising a test signal generator and circuits operating in conjunction with the entertainment and service system circuits.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,272 entitled xe2x80x9cCombined Data, Audio and Video Distribution System in Passenger Aircraftxe2x80x9d discloses a passenger aircraft video distribution system that distributes modulated RF carrier signals from a central signal source to be used at each passenger seat. The carriers are modulated to contain audio, video also other digital data, such as graphics, and slide shows and the like. Analog video signals from the video source are modulated on individually discrete carriers in the range of 54 to 300 megahertz. Audio information, including audio sound channels and the video audio, are digitized and combined with digital data in a combined serial bit stream that is multiplexed, and then modulated on an RF carrier having a frequency sufficiently above the frequency band of the video signals so that the resulting spectrum of the modulated audio RF carrier does not interfere with the modulated video carriers. The RF carrier signals are combined and distributed to individual seats. The modulated audio carrier is separated from the video carriers at each seat or each group of seats and then demodulated and demultiplexed for selection at each individual seat of a chosen audio channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,515 entitled xe2x80x9cPassenger Service and Entertainment System for Supplying Frequency-Multiplexed Video, Audio, and Television Game Software Signals to Passenger Seat Terminalsxe2x80x9d discloses a service and entertainment system for transmitting video signals, audio signals and television game software signals from a central transmitting apparatus to each of a plurality of terminals mounted at respective passenger seats in an aircraft, or at respective seats in a stadium, or theater, or the like. The video signals, audio signals and television game software signals are frequency-multiplexed and then transmitted to the terminals, so that desired ones of the frequency-multiplexed signals can be selected at each terminal unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,980 entitled xe2x80x9cAircraft Passenger Television Systemxe2x80x9d discloses a television system that provides for individualized program selection and viewing by aircraft passengers. The system comprises a plurality of compact television receivers mounted in front of each airline passenger in a rearwardly facing position within the passenger seat immediately in front of each passenger. Each television receiver is provided as a lightweight module adapted for rapid, removable installation into a mounting bracket opening rearwardly on the rear side of a passenger seat, with a viewing screen set at a tilt angle accommodating an average reclined position of the seat. Exposed controls permit channel and volume selection by the individual passenger, and an audio headset is provided for plug-in connection to the module. A broadcast station on the aircraft provides prerecorded and/or locally received programs on different channels to each television module for individual passenger selection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,821 entitled xe2x80x9cVideo Game Apparatus Integral with Aircraft Passenger Seat Trayxe2x80x9d discloses a video game apparatus employed by a passenger of an aircraft. The apparatus includes a tray that is mounted on the rear of an aircraft seat. The tray has an internal hollow with a rectangular aperture on a top surface which surface faces the passenger when the tray is placed in a usable position. Located in the rectangular aperture is a TV display screen. Located in the internal hollow of the tray is a video game apparatus that operates to provide a video game display on the surface of said TV display screen. The surface of the tray containing the TV display screen also includes a plurality of control elements that are coupled to the video game apparatus to enable the passenger to operate the game. To energize the game, the tray contains a cable coupling assembly whereby when a cable is inserted into the assembly, the video game is energized to provide a display of a game selected by means of a selector switch also mounted on the top surface of the tray.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,200 entitled xe2x80x9cWireless Aircraft Passenger Audio Entertainment Systemxe2x80x9d discloses that audio information in several audio channels is supplied via head sets to passengers seated aboard an aircraft in rows of seats including armrests and being distributed along an elongate passenger section inside a metallic fuselage. An antenna is run along the elongate passenger section of the aircraft for radio transmission inside such elongate passenger section. Individual antennas are provided for the passenger seats for receiving the latter radio transmission. These receiving antennas are distributed among predetermined armrests of the passenger seats. The audio information to be transmitted is provided in radio frequency channels in a band between 72 and 73 MHz. The distributed receiving antennas are coupled via seated passengers to the transmitting antenna. The radio frequency channels are transmitted in the mentioned band via the transmitting antenna, seated passengers and distributed receiving antennas to the predetermined armrests. Audio information is derived in the audio channels from the transmitted radio frequency channels also in the predetermined armrests. Passengers are individually enabled to select audio information from among the derived audio information in the audio channels. The selected audio information is applied individually to the headsets.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,965,647 and 5,617,331 entitled xe2x80x9cIntegrated Video and Audio Signal Distribution System and Method for use on Commercial Aircraft and Other Vehiclesxe2x80x9d disclose passenger entertainment systems employing an improved digital audio signal distribution system and method for use on commercial aircraft and other vehicles. A plurality of digital audio signal sources is provided for generating a plurality of compressed digital audio signals. The compressed digital audio signals are provided to a multiplexer that domain multiplexes the signals to produce a single composite digital audio data signal. The composite digital audio data signal is provided to a demultiplexer that is capable of selecting a desired channel from the composite digital audio data signal. The selected channel is provided to a decompression circuit, where it is expanded to produce a decompressed digital output signal. The decompressed digital output signal is then provided to a digital-to-analog converter and converted to an analog audio signal. The analog audio signal is provided to an audio transducer.
While the above patents disclose various aspects of passenger entertainment systems and components used therein, none of these prior art references disclose a fully integrated networked passenger entertainment system that integrates audio, video, product ordering and service processing, networked communications, and maintainability features. Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide for systems and methods that implement an integrated networked passenger entertainment and communication system that provides for passenger selected delivery of content over a communication network. It is a further objective of the present invention to provide for systems and methods that permit passengers to selectively order or request products or services, receive audio, video and game data, that permits communication of information to passengers from aircraft personnel, and that permits passengers to communicate with other passengers and computers located on- and off-board an aircraft.
The foregoing problems are overcome in an illustrative embodiment of the invention in which system software is used to enable a passenger entertainment system on a vehicle. The passenger entertainment system is configured and operated using the system software to provide passenger entertainment services including audio and video on-demand, information dissemination, product and service order processing, video teleconferencing and data communication services between passengers on-board the vehicle using a local networks, and between passengers and people and computers off-board the vehicle using a communications link.
The passenger entertainment system includes a system server such as a cabin file server having a plurality of interfaces and a network for supporting a plurality of computer processors that are each coupled to a video camera, a microphone, a video display, an audio reproducing device, and an input device located proximal to a plurality of seats. The computer processors and the system server comprise application software that selectively controls network applications and services. The system server has a plurality of interfaces to communications devices of the passenger entertainment system.
The system software is used to route and process passenger transactions from requesting computer processors and dispatch appropriate resources to fulfill the transactions. To achieve this, a passenger transaction is transmitted from a passenger-controlled component to a message processor in the system server. The message processor decodes the passenger transaction and generating a request in a predetermined format. The request is transmitted to a transaction dispatcher in the system server for routing. A database query is then generated in response to the request. The database query is transmitted to a database server in the system server having a database containing data regarding resources of the system that allow communication with and/or control of the communications devices and information relating to products and services offered by the system. An appropriate response is generated in response to the query. Appropriate resource defined in the response are then dispatched to the query to service the passenger transaction.
In the system server a plurality of network addressable units and pipe processors are preferably coupled between the message processor and transaction dispatcher to route requests and dispatch resources. An input/output handler and a plurality of device drivers in the system server are used to support video, audio, and network transmissions using the plurality of interfaces.
A graphical user interface is used by an operator to configure and operate the system. Responses to requests from the operator are obtained using application programming interface calls in response to request. Queries are generated in response to the application programming interface calls, which are routed to a database server coupled to the database. Responses to the queries are generated by outputting data from the database.
In the system server, a standard query language (SQL) database server is preferably coupled to a relational database. The database includes files containing information relating to each of the communications devices of the system. The information in the files contain data that allows communication with and/or control of these communicatiosn devices and contain information relating to products and services offered by the system.